06/26/2003
John K. Keitt Jr., named senior vice president and general counsel of The Associated Press

NEW YORK - The Associated Press on Thursday named John K. Keitt Jr., a lawyer who has long been associated with the news company, to be a senior vice president and general counsel with responsibilities for global business development.

Tom Curley, AP president and chief executive officer, said the role is a new one and that Keitt, now a partner in New York with the international law firm Dewey Ballantine, will join AP on July 7.

David Tomlin, currently assistant to the AP president, will become assistant general counsel.

Keitt (pronounced Kitt) has practiced in the fields of media, technology and intellectual property for more than 22 years, both in the United States and England.

Working with AP senior executives over the past two decades, he has represented the company on a wide range of corporate and business matters, including virtually all of its significant international corporate and business transactions. These include the acquisition and development of AP's satellite communication networks, the development of its global video news gathering service Associated Press Television News, and the AP's investment in new business ventures such as AP Advantage, an advertising management service.

Keitt started his practice in London with the New York law firm of Rogers and Wells, during which time he founded and headed its technology practice.

In 1999, he became a partner at Dewey Ballantine, where he led the technology practice group. He has advised other clients on a wide variety of commercial contracts, including mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments and alliances, multimedia and Internet technologies, network and systems integration and on general corporate matters including corporate governance issues.

Keitt is a graduate of Dartmouth College and holds law degrees from both the University of South Carolina and Cambridge University in England.

Contact: Jack Stokes
212-621-1720